Second- and Third-Century Greek Fathers
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23408207 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Norman Russell (Independent Scholar, Independent scholar, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Pages | 95-107 |
| Publication date | 2024-06-20 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | CHAPTER |
| Venue | Oxford Handbook of Deification (SOURCE_BOOK) |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198865179.013.8 |
| OpenAlex | W4399853450 |
| ISBN | 9780198865179 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 3 |
Justin Martyr uses a testimony source to interpret the “gods” of Psalm 81(82) as Adam and Eve, who had been intended to share in the divine attributes of impassibility and immortality, linking them with the “children of God” of John 3:1. Irenaeus discusses the psalm more in terms of Pauline adoption, emphasizing participation in God through baptism. Clement of Alexandria develops the baptismal theme of filiation but, for him, the moral qualities come to the fore. Origen uses the psalm as biblical testimony that salvation entails the transformation of human nature. He is the first to cite 2 Peter 1:4, bringing a new dynamic element to the concept of participation. Origen regards contemplation as able to move intelligent beings up the ladder of intelligent life to the angels, but insists that deification as an eschatological reality is open to every baptized person.
| Highly cited | No |
|---|